This curious phenomenon suggests the following of British society:-
- Increasing numbers of couples view the having children as similar to having pets. (We expect nothing of our pets except their ability to be obedient, grateful, forever dependent and never leave us. Pets, you see, have no use except to gratify the ego of the pet-owner and to stave off feelings of loneliness and uselessness that we all might have from time to time.)
- These parents expect very little from their children, because they appear to have the luxury of being able to treat their children as pets.
- The waste and purposelessness of such an unrewarding venture - that of bringing up a child who will never achieve full independence and who will always be a source of worry, particularly if they do not predecease their parents - is not being questioned enough by parents, because of the cushion of a welfare state.
- More mothers are having children later and later.
- The greater willingness of parents now prepared to bring up children with Down's Syndrome is indicative of the unwisdom of indiscriminate compassion that now pervades British society. This may be due to the fact that we now live in a society that is morbidly over-feminised.
- A society that unquestioningly encourages the unproductive at the expense of the productive in the name of compassion will find itself burdened with the unproductive and unable to compete with societies unburdened by such policies.
- Insanity is but fundamental error compounded by persistent irrationality.
- Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad.
"It is like watching a nation busily engaged in heaping up its own funeral pyre.”
9 comments:
"we now live in a society that is morbidly over-feminised."
Well I won't argue with that! Well said.
You are not Evan Harris, by any chance, are you? I think there may be some humanitarian point lurking behind what you say, but what comes across is very much the philosophy of Dr Death.
The philosophy behind the post, whilst the poster is probably blissfully unaware of the darker side of life, is very closely reminiscent, to this reader, of the beliefs of a society which produced Auschwitz, Sobibor and Belsen!
My response to Little Black Sambo is that I have no idea who Evan Harris is or what he has to do with this discussion.
I will not flinch from telling unpalatable truths even as I know I will be accused of all sorts for pointing them out.
My response to Genghis is that I am only too aware of the darker side of life, ie that darker side of life that will end up with accusations of my being a Nazi who wants to gas Jews, when all I have done is question whether treating our children like pets is a Good Thing.
Sorry: Dr Evan Harris MP, half in love with easeful death, of Mephistophelian appearance, enthusiastic promoter in Parliament of abortion and euthanasia, known as Dr Death.
A good letter in yesterday's Times:
Sir, Women who proceed with their pregnancy having had a positive screening should give the matter further thought. Society is, by and large, more accepting of Down's children, who are often affectionate and cheerful. However those children grow up and in many cases do not become independent. Ageing parents then have to consider the choices for their dependent offspring. The long-term responsibility often falls to siblings or the child is put into a home.
Simon Barnes is right that "all parenthood begins and ends with love” (Commentary, Nov 24).
Sometimes that means making very tough decisions.
KAY COULTON
Richmond, Surrey
All parents must hope their children will grow up to be independent.
Of course, if some misfortune should befall the child – making this impossible - then this cannot be helped, and the situation must be borne.
However, to allow a child to be born who - in almost all cases - will end up in a home, and be forever dependent on others, should perhaps be seen as irresponsible.
If LITTLE BLACK SAMBO had mentioned Baroness Warnock, I would seen his point earlier! I would just say that I, like Baroness Warnock, would be quite happy to end it all (or have someone end it for me) were I to suffer from dementia.
If I were to find myself with a mentally handicapped child, I would not be one of those parents who would keep it. I would be far too selfish, but even selfishess and self-interest has its points, I would argue.
Physical disability, yes. Mental disability, no. I would either give it away, ie have it institutionalised or "accidentally on purpose" see to it that it would not be a burden on anyone else either.
The latter, to be honest, is more likely in my case and, in my opinion, more moral and ultimately kinder.
I would like to thank Jeffrey Marshall for his thoughtful contribution and comment.
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